Chapter 9

Problem 9.1

V  1000 l KS  1.5 g/l S0  10 g/l

 m  0.4 h 1 YX/S  0.5 g/g F  100 l/h

F 100 l/h
a) D    0.1 h 1
V 1000 l

S
At steady state:   D  0.1 h 1   m
KS  S

 S 
 0.1 h 1  0.4 h 1  
 1.5 g/l  S 

Solving for S: S  0.5 g/l

X  YX/S (S0  S)  0.5 g/g (10  0.5 g/l)  4.75 g/l

DX  0.1 h 1 (4.75 g/l)  0.475 g / (l  h)

b) Cell Recycle Flow Rate = 10 l/h

X recycle  5  X reactor

Recycle Flow Rate 10 l/h

   0.1
Feed Flow Rate 100 l/h

X recycle
C 5
X reactor

  [1+α (1-C)]D
(equation 9.9)
 [1+0.1 (1-5)] (0.1 h -1 )

  0.06 h -1 (Note: μ < D)

 S 
As above: 0.06 h 1  0.4 h 1  
 1.5 g/l  S 

Solving for S: S  0.265 g/l

 D  0.1 h 1 
X  YX/S (S0  S)  0.5 g/g (10  0.265 g/l)  1 
μ  0.06 h 
 8.11 g/l

DX  0.1 h 1 (8.11 g/l)  0.811 g / (l  h)

c) Having a cell recycle increases the rate of substrate consumption (i.e. a lower S)
resulting in a higher biomass concentration and in a higher biomass production rate.

Problem 9.2

μ m  0.3 h -1 KS  0.1 g/l YX/S  0.4 g/g

F 100 l/h
a) D1    0.2 h 1  μ , at steady state
V1 500 l

S1  S1 
 0.2 h 1  μ m  0.3 h 1  
KS  S1  0.1 g/l  S1 

Solving for S1: S1  0.2 g/l

X1  YX/S  (S0  S1 )  0.4 g/g (5  0.2 g/l)  1.92 g/l

q P  0.02 g / (g cell  h)
b) μ 2  0  X 2  X1
YP/S  0.6 g/g

F 100 l/h
D2    0.333 h 1
V2 300 l

Substrate balance around second stage:

q P X 2 V2 d S2
F  (S1  S2 )   V2  0 at steady state
YP/S dt
 q P X 2 V2 qp X2
Solving for S2: S2  S1   S1 
F YP/S D2 YP/S

0.02 g g 1h 1 (1.92 g/l)

S2  0.2 g/l   0.008 g/l
0.333 h 1 (0.6 g/g)

P2  YP/S (S1  S2 )  0.6 g/g (0.2  0.008 g/l)  0.115 g/l

Problem 9.3
F = 100 l/h V = 900, 600, 300 l
1. Calculate dilution rates for the tanks:
F 1
Dilution Rate, D  (h )
Volume (l) V
900 0.111
600 0.167
300 0.333
dX dP
2. Plot X and P versus t, versus X and versus P.
dt dt

3. Choose order of vessels, e.g. 900, 600, 300 l.

4. Determine X1, as follows: X1 corresponds to the intersection point between the line with
a slope of D = 0.111 h–1 (through the origin) and the dx/dt versus X curve, i.e.
0.111 X1 = 13.258 – 1.699 X1 or X1 = 7.32 g/l

5. Determine P1, from X and P versus t plots, i.e.

For X1 = 7.32 g/l t = 10.9 h.

P1 = 0.09 g/l corresponds to t = 10.9 h.

dP
6. Step off the subsequent stages on versus P curve:
dt

Equations for the subsequent stages :

0.167 (P2  0.09)  0.378  0.619 P2 or P2  0.5 g/l

0.333 (P3  0.50)  0.378  0.619 P3 or P3  0.572 g/l

7. Repeat steps 3–6 for the remaining combinations. The results are summarized in table
blow.
Plotting lnX versus t to determine μm: using data for 0 < t < 10 h
Since the dilution rate for the 300 l tank is 0.333 h–1 which is larger than μm, washout of
biomass will occur if the 300 l vessel is the first vessel in the series. Two combinations are
eliminated as possibilities (300, 600, 900 and 300, 900, 600) as they will be equivalent to 2
reactors in series and will give a value of P that is less than P for 3 reactors in series.
Combination X1 (g/l) P1 (g/l) P2 (g/l) P3 (g/l)
900, 600, 300 7.32 0.09 0.50 0.572
900, 300, 600 7.32 0.09 0.428 0.572
600, 900, 300 7.10 0.08 0.53 0.582
600, 300, 900 7.10 0.08 0.425 0.582
∴ 600, 900, 300 and 600, 300, 900 l are the combinations that maximize product formation.

Problem 9.4. Two CSTRs in series

a. 1st reactor: H1 = V1/F = (S0 –S1)/ kS1

2nd reactor H2 = V2/F = (S1 – S2)/ kS2

HT = H1 + H2 = (S0 –S1) /kS1 + (S1 –S2) /kS2

b. Since S0 and S2 are constant then HT = f (S1)

d HT / dS1 = ( -kS1 – k(S0-S1)) / (kS1)2 + kS2/ (kS2)2 = - kS0/ k2S12 + 1/ kS2 = 0

H is minimum when S1 = (S0 S2)1/2

c. H1 = (S0 –S1)/kS1 = (S0 - (S0 S2)1/2 ) / k (S0 S2)1/2 = 1/k ( S0/S2)1/2 -1)

H2 = (S1 –S2) / kS1 = ((S0 S2)1/2 –S2)/ kS2 = 1/k ( S0/S2)1/2 -1)

H1 = H2 or V1 = V2 for constant feed flow rate (F)

d. T min = 2/k ( S0/S2)1/2 -1) and VTmin = 2F/k ( S0/S2)1/2 -1)

Problem 9.5.

a. μ R m = 0.693/ td = 0.139 h-1

1 st reactor: S1 = 0.2 S0 = 8 g/l S2 = 0.2S1 = 1.6 g/l

P1 = Yp/s = (S0 – S1) = 0.5 (40 - 8) = 16 g/l

P2 = P1 + Yp/s (S1 – S2) = 16 + 0.5(8 – 1.6) = 19.2 g/l

b. X1 = Yx/s (S0 –S1) = 0.1 ( 40 – 8) = 3.2 g/l

X2 = X1 + Yx/s (S1 – S2) = 3.2 + 0.1 (8 – 1.6) = 3.84 g/l

c.  1 =  m S1/ (KS + S1) = 0.139(8) /(1+8) = 0.123 h-1 = F/V1 =D1

V1 = 8.13 L

 2 =  m S2/(Ks + S2) = 0.139(1.6)/(1+1.6) = 0.0855 h-1

 2 = 0.0855 = D2(1 - X1/X2) = D2 ( 1 - 3.2/3.84) = 0.167 D2

D2 = 0.51 h-1 = F/V2 , V2 = 1.96 L

d. (DX)1 = D1X1 = 0.123(3.2) = 0.394 gX/l-h

(DX)2 = D2 X2 = 0.51 (3.84) = 1.96 gX/l-h

(DP)1 = D1 P1 = 0.123 (16) = 1.968 gP/l-h

(DP)2 = D2P2 = 0.51(19.2) = 9.79 gP/l-h

e. qP1 = D1 (P1 –P0)/X1 = 0.123(16)/3.2 = 0.615 gP/gX-h

qP2 = D2 (P2 –P1)/X2 = 0.51(3.2)/3.84 = 0.425 gP/gX-h

qS1 = D1 (S0 –S1)/X1 = 0.123(40-8)/3.2 = 1.23 gS/gX-h

qS2 = D2 (S1 – S2)/X2 = 0.51(8 – 1.6)/3.84 = 0.85 gS/gX-h

Problem 9.6

V0  500 l S0  300 g/l μ m  0.2 h 1

F  50 l/h X0  20 g/l KS  0.5 g/l

YX/S  0.3 g/g

a) V  V0  Ft  500 l  50 l / h (10 h)  1000 l

F 50 l/h
b) D    0.05 h 1
V 1000 l

S
At quosi-steady state: μ  D  μ m
KS  S

KSD 0.5 g/l (0.05 h 1 )

S    0.0167 g/l
μm  D 0.2  0.05 h 1

c) X t  X 0 V0  FYX/S S0 t
 20 g/l (500 l)  50 l/h (0.3 g/g)(300 g/l)(10 h)
X  55, 000 g
t

Xt 55, 000 g
[X ] 
t
  55.0 g/l  X m
V 1000 l

d) q P  0.05 g / (g  h) and P0 = 0.1 g/l

P0 V0  V Dt 
P  qPXm  0   t  equation 9.44 
V V 2 
0.1 g/l (500 l) g  g   500 l 1 
  0.05  55    (0.05 h 1 )(10 h)  (10 h)
1000 l gh  l  1000 l 2 
 P  20.7 g/l

Problem 9.7.
DP  0.5 cm

rm  100 mg / (cm3  h)

K S  10 mg / cm3

rmS r
rS   m S  k LS (At low S)
KS  S KS

a  25 cm2 cm3

A  100 cm2

DS  106 cm 2 S

Calculating effectiveness factor, n :

VP rm / K S 6π D3P rm D rm
   P
AP DS πD3P DS K S 6 DS K S
0.5 cm 100 mg cm 3h 1

6 106 cm 2S1 (10 mg cm 3 )(3600 S h 1 )
  4.392
1 1 1 
η     0.210
  tanh 3 3 

Steady state substrate balance over element dz:

rm VP
FdS  η S a A dz  0
KS AP

Integrating from (0, S0,i) to (H, S0,e) :

 S0,e dS η rm VP a A H
 F   dz
S0,i S KS AP 0

S0,e η rm VP a A
F ln  H
S0,i KS AP

KS AP F S 6 KS F S
H  ln 0,i  ln 0,i
η rm VP a A S0,e η rm D P a A S0,e
6 (10 mg cm 3 )(1.20 105 cm3 h 1 ) 5
 3 1 3
 ln  
1
2 2
0.21 (100 mg cm h )(0.5 cm)(25 cm cm )(100 cm )
H  441 cm  4.4 m

Problem 9.8.
Db = 10 cm X0 = 45 g/l
H = 200 cm F = 5 l/h
qS = 2 g/(g·h) S0 = 160 g/l

X  X0 (1  0.005 z )  45 (1  0.005 z ) g/l

a) Substrate balance over element dz

FdS  qS X A dz
FdS  qS A X 0 (1  0.005 z ) dz

Integrating from (0, S0) to (H, S):

S H
F dS  qS A X 0  (1-0.005z) dz
S0 0

F (S  S0 )  qS A X 0 (H  0.0025 H 2 )

Solving for S :

qS X 0  π 2 
S  S0   Db  (H  0.0025 H )
2

F 4 
2 g g 1h 1 (45 g l1 ) π l
 160 g/l  1
 (10 cm) 2  [200  0.0025 (200) 2 ] cm 
5lh 4 1000 cm3
S  160  141.37 g/l  18.6 g/l